Waste management needs large budget: official
Indonesia's Ministry of Environment has highlighted the costs incurred in waste management compared to efforts to reduce waste production. "Once it has become waste, we need money to process it," environmental counselor to the ministry's Directorate of Waste Management, Agus Puyi , said at an online discussion He drew attention to waste generated by each individual, which, if accumulated, can reach hundreds or even thousands of tons in a city such as Jakarta, with eight thousand tons of waste estimated to be generated per day on average. According to Puyi, waste management is the responsibility of the regional government, including districts/cities, as per Law Number 18 of 2008 concerning Waste Management. However, he said that not all regional governments have the financial capability to manage waste. Data from the ministry shows that regions have set aside around 0.6 percent of their budget for waste management efforts, which is less than the 3 percent minimum bu...